battle axe

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See also: battleaxe and battle-axe

English[edit]

Replica battleaxes (weapons)

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • Audio (AU)(file)

Noun[edit]

battle axe (plural battle axes)

A battleaxe block or battleaxe lot.
  1. An ancient military weapon, an axe designed for combat, including (in heraldry) when borne on arms as a mark of prowess.
    • 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page x:
      Another battle-ax, in the same collection.
  2. (informal, sometimes humorous) A domineering, antagonistic woman.
  3. (informal) An electric guitar.
    • 2013, Kiley Armstrong, “"108 Rock Star Guitars" reveals battle-ax beauty”, in Associated Press‎[1]:
      The instruments (one's named Baby) evoke tender talk from macho musicians. But some of these battle-ax beauties have seen more action than a roller derby queen: They bear the gashes and sweat stains to prove it.
  4. (Australia, usually spelt "battleaxe") An allotment of land at the rear of another property, with a long, narrow strip of land connecting it to the roadway.

Usage notes[edit]

Formerly a term of mild opprobrium, "battle-ax" or "old battle-ax" is now sometimes a term of approval or self-identification for an assertive woman.

Synonyms[edit]

Translations[edit]

electric guitar — see electric guitar

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  • The Manual of Heraldry, Fifth Edition, by Anonymous, London, 1862, online at [2]

Further reading[edit]

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